Transport Medal, South Africa 1899-1902 – S.S. Custodian.

Transport Medal, South Africa 1899-1902 – S.S. Custodian. Transport Medal, Clasp, S. Africa 1899-1902, C. Teasdale. 3rd Officer C Teasdale is confirmed on the medal roll as having served on S.S. Custodian, of the J&T Harrison line. Between 1899 and 1902, the SS Custodian, a prominent steamship operated by the British shipping company Harrison Line, played a vital role as a transport vessel during the Second Boer War in South Africa. Originally built for merchant cargo and trade routes spanning the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the ship was quickly requisitioned by the British government to support the massive logistical demands of the conflict. Because of its large capacity, the SS Custodian was heavily utilized to transport military contingents, medical teams, horses, and essential war supplies from various parts of the British Empire directly to the front lines. Notably, between 1901 and 1902, the vessel was instrumental in deploying Australian forces. It carried components of the New South Wales Medical Team, as well as squadrons of the Australian Commonwealth Horse—including the 1st and 7th Battalions—leaving ports like Sydney and Brisbane for South Africa. The journeys were notoriously grueling for both the troops and the livestock on board. By the time the war concluded in mid-1902, the SS Custodian had cemented its legacy as a reliable, hardworking imperial transport link during a critical turning point in military logistics. Condition – GVF, small edge bruise.